


Hug It Out

by FormulaFerrari



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-20 10:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13716174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FormulaFerrari/pseuds/FormulaFerrari
Summary: Valentine's Day either needs to be full out or a quiet night in.





	Hug It Out

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little short valentine's fic to tic you over - hopefully got some big updates coming out soon!  
> \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He was just about getting the hang of this. The old-style cooker had thrown him off at first, forcing him to stick to microwave meals and takeaways. But his budget nor his health-conscious mind could take another one of those, so he had been forced to tackle the free-standing oven that took up one corner of the small kitchen.

It had sent out a putrid smell of gas on his first attempt, and not ignited the first three times he had tried, but perseverance and two YouTube videos had him smiling to himself at the pasta boiled on the hob whilst chicken cooked in the oven. He smiled over his coffee as he lent against the work surface on the opposite side of the room, his eyes never leaving the bubbling water above the open flames.

Fernando’s family had told him that moving to London would be too hard. That no job was worth it and it would be too much for him to learn at once. But it was a once in a life-time opportunity and he couldn’t let it slip through his fingers. His English was good enough to land him the job, learning how the old-style cooker worked and the underground train system were just hurdles he would overcome in no time.  

He’d been there two weeks and had managed to not burn the house down so far.

Having to house share had been easier than he first thought. Most of the other occupants in the house seemed to keep themselves to themselves and it wasn’t a lot different to those university days Fernando had lived only a few months earlier when he shared a house with his classmates.

There was one house mate that Fernando knew he spent a little too much time thinking about. He knew he shouldn’t be obsessing and he shouldn’t lose so much time thinking about the person sleeping in the room next door to his, but his mind couldn’t help it. It seemed like whenever he had a lull it was the first thing he thought of.

In all honest, it had been years since Fernando had had a crush and he didn’t really know what to do about it. He didn’t want to pursue anything in case things became awkward between them. That would make living together hard and Fernando really didn’t know what to do if that happened. He would just have to get over his silly little crush and move on, try and obsessively think about someone else.

It didn’t help that on the first day of their meeting he had found out Mark was single.

Yes, Mark had gone into great detail about his on-again-off-again relationship. About how he still saw his ex in a romantic way and that they would infrequently spend the night together. But he’d been so open and honest, Fernando had instantly been drawn in. He wanted to be able to find the courage to tell Mark that this ex of his sounded like a jerk and an idiot and didn’t know what they’d thrown away. Whenever Mark asked for his opinion on the subject, Fernando claimed that his English wasn’t good enough to understand or express his opinion clearly enough.

But Mark was so kind and caring and clearly hung up on his ex. It always sucks when the person you love leaves you, and clearly Mark was having a hard time justifying why he should move on and look for someone else. He was clearly hoping he and his ex could reconcile. Fernando had deflated when Mark told him that. There was really no use in wasting time over someone who was clearly interested in someone else.

Fernando tried to shake the thoughts from his head. Now wasn’t the best time to be having those thoughts, and it was only going to bum him out more considering it was Valentines Day. Mark wasn’t home and it was much later than the time he usually returned from work. Fernando scraped the rim of his mug, slightly dejected. Mark was probably out with his ex again which meant he wouldn’t be home at all tonight.

Fernando barely registered the front door being unlocked. He was stirring his dinner and trying not to think about Mark when he felt the second body enter the room. The blush hit his cheeks the moment he clocked the tall brunette in his peripheral vision. Maybe he’d just come home to get changed and then he was going out. Maybe he wasn’t going out at all. Fernando shook his head a little, pushing that hopeful thought out of his head.

“Hello stranger.” Fernando smiled, keeping his eyes locked on the food he was stirring. The fridge door closed and he couldn’t help but look over at Mark in the silence that followed. Mark took a sip of his beer, looking at Fernando calculatedly. Barely a beat passed.

“Can I have a hug?” Mark asked, setting his beer down. Fernando was taken off guard.

“Sure.” Fernando said without thought. Abandoning his food, Fernando mimicked Mark and opened his arms slightly. Mark’s strong arms came around him and he felt the Australian exasperate, letting out a long breath that sounded like it had been held for a very long time. Fernando frowned, holding Mark a little tighter.

“Valentine’s sucks.” Mark muttered, rubbing his hands across Fernando’s back. Fernando couldn’t help but melt a little; Mark was asking him for comfort. He felt his grip increase as he tried to pull Mark closer to him.

It had been a few seconds, so fearing it may get awkward Fernando moved to let go of Mark. But the smallest distance he managed to move away from Mark he felt the Australian pull him back, not letting a millimetre of air between them. Fernando smiled slightly, letting himself fall into Mark’s hold, his head finding the perfect spot in the curve of Mark’s neck.

“Ugh. Sorry.” Mark said, clapping Fernando’s back as he moved away. Fernando wanted to fight to keep the hug going but he resisted, letting Mark slip from his hold. The hug meant different things to Mark and he and he knew it wasn’t fair to take what he wanted form Mark whilst he was still hurting. “Needed that, thanks.”

“Rough day?” Fernando asked evenly, keeping his back to Mark as he focused on stirring and checking on his dinner.

“Yeah, you could say that.” Mark nodded, leaning back on the work surface and sipping on his beer. “Lots of people in love just rubbing it in my face.”

“That sucks.” Fernando agreed.

“I don’t mind people being in love it’s just when my love life is so down the shitter I don’t want it rammed in my face.”

“Uh huh.”

“Like this one couple. Every time I went over to them the girl couldn’t help but remind me they’d just gotten engaged and they were so in love and they were so happy and wasn’t today perfect.” Mark took a long swig of his beer. “No, today isn’t perfect.”

“Is a shitty holiday manufactured to increase card and chocolate sales.” Fernando shrugged. “Hate this day. If you love someone, should show them every day. Not just one day. Is silly.”

“That’s what I’ve always said.” Mark nodded. “I used to hate this day, even when I was with Je…” Mark’s voice drifted off as Fernando internally cringed. Mark was yet to actually tell Fernando the name of his ex. Maybe it was still too hard for him. Fernando had deduced that he’d probably find out when whoever she was bumped into him in the kitchen when he was making breakfast. “There was always so much pressure. I used to say ‘I love you, why does today have to be special? Every day should be special.’ But that always led to a fight. In the end I just stopped fighting it. Made sure that Valentine’s Day was the most romantic thing I could think of.”

“Sometimes we have to do what makes the people we love happy.” Fernando muttered, turning off his timer.

“Shame it was never good enough.” Mark added, sipping on his beer again. Fernando quietly served up his dinner. “Sorry, I’m bumming you out. You’ve probably got some super special evening planned ahead of you with some lucky la-”

“-Nope.” Fernando shrugged, gesturing to his sweat pants and dinner for one. “Is as good as it gets for me.”

“I don’t know. I can think of worse ways to spend a Wednesday night.” Mark smiled lightly.

“Yes; could be cold pasta because did not know how to use the oven.”

“Could be takeaway.” Mark smirked, pointing to the pizza box he had brought in with him. “How about this; you and I have a Valentine’s where we eat our own dinner, sit and watch a film and just chill out with a couple of beers.” Mark suggested. “I was gonna drown the night away, regret it in the morning and call in sick because I had a terrible hangover. Watching a film with you is definitely a better alternative.”

“Ahh, so my company is enjoyable. This is good to know.” Fernando smiled, stretching into a grin when Mark’s laugh echoed into the room.

“There is no one I’d rather spend Valentine’s home alone with.” Mark saluted with his beer, leading the way to the front room.

It was a while later, about halfway through the film Fernando was barely watching, when the silence was broken. Fernando was so consumed by the closeness of Mark’s leg to his that he almost missed what the Australian said.

“I wish I could have had this with Jenson.” Mark muttered, sinking lower into the sofa. Fernando blinked at him.

“What?”

“This. Coming in in the evening and just chilling in front of the TV. If we weren’t off doing something apparently we were just wasting life. Home was more of a base camp for us, just somewhere to rest our heads.”

“Oh…” Jenson didn’t sound like a female name.

“Don’t get me wrong, I loved that about him. It’s just… You don’t always have to live life at ten thousand miles per hour.” Fernando had definitely stopped listening.

“Are gay?” Fernando asked, the question coming out much too bluntly due to his surprise. Mark’s head shot round so he was looking at the Spaniard.

“Yeah, but it’s not a big deal. It’s 2018. It’s not like I’m suddenly going to jump you. I’m not out of control horny I just… Like guys.” Mark said, playing with the top of his beer bottle. Fernando couldn’t help the little smile dancing onto his face.

“Am gay too.” Fernando admitted, confidently looking over at Mark. It was the first person Fernando had told and it felt so good to get the weight off his chest. Mark’s eyebrows rose in shock.

“You are?”

“Yeah… So can jump me if you like.” Fernando wanted to smack his palm into his forehead. How could he be so stupid! Mark’s laugh vibrated through the room, causing Fernando to give an embarrassed chuckle.

“That’s good to know, Nano.” Mark grinned, sipping on his beer.

“I say ‘if you like’. Is no pressure, even though you are my Valentine’s date.” Fernando teased.

“No one else gave you any offers?”

“Nada.” Fernando shrugged.

“Then the World is crazy. Anyone would be lucky to be seen sitting across the table from an extremely handsome man.” Mark said, so casually Fernando nearly missed the compliment. He blushed violently, unable to look across the sofa at Mark. “At least I get to say I had a very hot date.”

“Will be the talk of the office.” Fernando smiled sheepishly. Mark shuffled across the sofa so he was closer to Fernando.

“Just so you know, this is one of my favourite Valentine’s in years.” Mark admitted. Fernando risked a look over at him.

“Really?”

“Oh yeah, definitely in the top two.”

“Top two, eh? And what do I compete with?”

“A naked lap dance and sex on a balcony above the city is kinda hard to beat, mate.” Mark said casually.

“The night is still young.” Fernando smirked, eyes on the television. Mark raised an eyebrow at him, looking impressed.

“Happy Valentine’s, Fernando.”

“Happy Valentine’s, Mark.”


End file.
